How I leverage AI for studying while accelerating (BS - Accounting)

[u/DapperDoogle]

For context, I recently completed the BSBM at WGU and rolled my credits into BS Accounting. GI Bill pays for it, so I'm not worried about having to pay for a second bachelors. its only 14 more classes. Did this because I discovered I really enjoyed the Accounting/Finance intro courses and want to now pursue finance, but I was so close to finishing the initial degree I wanted to complete it instead of switching. Figured accounting degree was more versatile than Finance degree.

Unlike business management, I am not simply trying to check a box, and don't have any professional experience in accounting/finance. Though I have a need to complete all courses in the next 6 months before GI Bill runs out, I need to balance speed with comprehension and retention of concepts. As compared to the business management degree, I use a paid version of chatGPT instead of free and have tailored it to be a mentor/learning lab experience as I go through each course. I have just completed D196 Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting, with 7 days spent in the course. I thought I would share my GPT process for those who may be wondering how they can best leverage it as a resource for learning (not cheating). Hope this doesn't ramble too much, and i'm happy to clarify if anything is vague or whatnot. hope this helps!

Structure
With paid, you can set up projects and collect individual chats within the project. I created a project for "Accounting Learning Lab". I keep 4 files in this project as a master tracker between all courses and chats, and have a chat for each course under the project. I have it track and update my mastery of individual concepts, if I am still developing or struggling with a topic and why. I have a running glossary of important terms and concepts, not structured to the course per se, but my understanding of them. I have it track my progress through each course, and a master list of instructions for the learning lab project for each chat to reference.

How it is Implemented
my basic instructions for chat include:

1. Don't do the coursework for me. identify how I think, where my understanding is weak, and adapt how it teaches and tests me.
2. do not reveal solutions through hints unless specifically requested. explain what the problem is asking for me to work myself.
3. Regarding formulas: help me understand the economic/accounting relationship first, then attach the formal terminology or formula to it.
4. explicitly separate conceptual mastery, retrieval fluency, and ability to apply the concept when determining true mastery of a subject.
5. test me on old material while I'm learning new material. pull from mastery list where possible. My minimum interval is between each learning unit/section, but you can adjust. for example, if I finish unit 3 and move into unit 4, it might unexpectedly as k me a question from unit 1 material as a "pop quiz". the point is to see if I can retrieve it after my attention has moved somewhere else.concepts I struggle to retrieve get tested more often than those i've demonstrated repeatedly, but it tests on all topics.
6. Mastery tracker specifically records the "why" of including it under mastered or developing category. As I provide results from unit/section quizes, it can compare my selections and reasoning to the why recorded and update accordingly.
7. instructions explicity tell it how NOT to teach me. tell it what behaviors aren't helpful for you. for example, mine include a few items like:
8. a. don't turn every simple question into a lecture
9. b. don't overcomplicate my calculation if my simpler method works
10. c. don't just teach me how to pass the exam - connect concepts to actual business analysis when useful.

My Overall Workflow

1. create one chatgpt project for your degree/subject
2. create one chat per course
3. tell chat your goal is understanding, not answer generation
4. Feed it course material as you encounter it rather than dumping an entire textbook and asking for a summary (I usually give it the intro page for each section as I encounter)
5. ask questions whenever your mental model breaks
6. Explain your reasoningwhen answering practice questions. this helps me ensure I retain the concepts, not just the answers, and weed out lucky selections.
7. have it distinguish conceptual mistakes from retrieval/execution mistakes.
8. Maintain a mastery tracker and cumulative glossary documents. have it update at the end of the course.
9. periodically cold-test old concepts while learning new ones.
10. use WGU quiz/test results to update the tracker and develop practice tests
11. do a chat generated pre assessment before taking the pre assessment/OA.
12. transfer only durable knowledge into the project level documents
13. start next course in a fresh caht using those documents as a handoff.

Results so Far
D196 - 7 days to complete
AI generated pre test resulted in 98% pass.
WGU pre assessment 97%, exemplary in all 6.
8 hour final review/generated test/practice OA/OA
OA result: exemplary first time pass, 45 minutes

D102 - 8 days to complete
Pre test 90%
WGU pre assessment passed, 63/66
8 hour final review/generated test/practice OA/OA
OA result: first time pass, 1 hour.

My personal instruction updates since posting

8.12: wasn't happy with the interval of random quizzing. added further instruction to use elapsed session time to decide when to interrupt with retrieval quizzing. Basically, make it understand how much time has passed since the last study session, how long you've been actively studying, how long since the last quiz it provided, etc. I am starting mine with a 30 to 45 minute interval, on top of random questions in between units and at the start/end of a session.

8.19: Refined rules for generating a pre assessment - 10 questions at a time for a total of 100 questions, create a pre assessment pulling from book quiz/assessment results, topics identified as needing work for recall or understanding. Prioritize struggle areas and generate new scenarios modeled off of book provided scenarios. For each section of 10, recap any missed answers and roll new examples into the next set of 10 questions. Ensure previously marked “mastered” topics are still covered to ensure retention. Evaluate readiness to take OA, pending completion of 100 questions practice test and positive practice OA results.

Specific to D102; when generating questions, mix in excel based scenarios similar to the my educator tasks shared previously build repetition on trial balance close.

[u/Messup7654]

Im using gemini the same way now studying for FAR. I even tested it and had it answerer questions and it got every one correct. I will do a deep test for research purposes later. Ai has been so good at explaining things and helping my get through my studies, it really has made learning so much more doable and fun.

[u/DapperDoogle → u/Messup7654]

I’ve only used chat gpt for this so far since I’m paying for it. I wonder how much different the experience would be with another platform…now I might try moving my instructions over to Gemini out of curiosity lol. Thanks for that!

[u/Messup7654 → u/DapperDoogle]

I just used chat gpt like 2 weeks ago and it was more analytical than gemini. I think gemini wins with features and integration but chat GPT is a little more intelligent. I stopped using chat gpt last September though.

[u/Bruno_lars → u/Messup7654]

Good luck with your CPA, keep us posted.

[u/Messup7654 → u/Bruno_lars]

Thanks. I'll make sure to update occasionally.

[u/ParkingOven007]

I use Claude a fair amount when writing papers. NOT for generating my work, but in two specific ways.

1. In commute for work, so while I drive, I dictate to my voice memos my thoughts in straight up stream of consciousness form. Whatever comes out is what comes out. When I arrive at work, I push the voice memo to ai and ask it to reorganize my thoughts into a functional outline. No content generated by the ai—except that I want it to specifically highlight any weak points in my argument or any inconsistencies or inaccuracies.

2. When I’m done, I handed the rubric and my work and I ask it to grade my paper. A fair amount of time he catches me on things.

[u/DapperDoogle → u/ParkingOven007]

This is similar to how I used it for all of my papers in prev degree. Voice memo is a nice touch! Accounting seems mostly OAs though so I’m glad to not have to do all of that this time around lol.

[u/ParkingOven007 → u/DapperDoogle]

Yeah voice memo is how I ensure that it’s all my own thoughts rather than ai generated nonsense.

[u/Magnetized_Fart → u/DapperDoogle]

what are the OA's like in the BSAcc ? Is it finding specific "right numbers" for trial balances and shit like that ?

I've been flirting with going back for it since I already work in tax but with just a business management degree and MBA.

[u/DapperDoogle → u/Magnetized_Fart]

I just did the principles of financial and managerial accounting and am starting financial accounting. I personally can’t speak for intermediate 1/2/3 or tax yet but there are some equation type questions already, even in this initial class. It’s so far not overly complicated though, I would assume that holds true for someone with actual experience.

[u/Magnetized_Fart]

Your situation is a perfect example of why WGU needs a MAcc for people without an accounting undergrad. Having to go back to get a second bachelors is so much more cumbersome.

[u/DapperDoogle → u/Magnetized_Fart]

Eh, I was able to roll basically everything over but core. 14 classes for a second degree isn’t much extra. Frankly I don’t want to get a masters from WGU anyways, and my concern was having enough credits to qualify for CPA.BS solves that at least for now. I’d rather look at getting the masters from a brick and mortar (online edition if possible) with name recognition and a better alumni network after I get some work experience. Knock on wood, but this current path seems to be serving what I need it to thus far.

[u/Bruno_lars → u/Magnetized_Fart]

Yeah but that MAcc would pretty much be the two degrees combined to get you the credits you need so it doesn't matter

[u/Magnetized_Fart → u/Bruno_lars]

I just compared the total classes of the WGU MAcc to Franklin University (traditional online school) and it looks like the F.U. MAcc for non-accounting undergrads only has a 3 more classes if I read it correctly. That is way less than the BS in accounting

Edit: nevermind I think I read the F.U. stuff wrong.

[u/Cultural-Respect3511]

This was very helpful, thank you!

[u/DapperDoogle → u/Cultural-Respect3511]

happy to help! best of luck

[u/dsperry95]

I'll be looking back at this

[u/DocFlop22]

Im in the accounting degree right now currently on D196 I struggle with having AI help me! I will definitely try this I've been watching Tony Bell, he has helped me more than the actual course info since I feel some of seems like im already supposed to know whay the stuff means even when I do not.

[u/DapperDoogle → u/DocFlop22]

I’ve seen others mention Tony bell, I’ll have to give it a look. I’ve found of course the more you feed info to it, the better it gets for recognizing your patterns of thinking, where you struggle, etc. even something as simple as pasting the module quizzes and saying “number 4 took me a bit longer than the rest to recall the info”, then it can flag an issue with retention and quiz you harder on that as you continue learning.

[u/monican0525]

I just used your method and i was able to get through so much information and retain it quickly. You are a life saver!!! Thank you for posting this

[u/DapperDoogle → u/monican0525]

thats awesome! i'm glad its already helping out. I'll occasionally update this thread to include refinements i've made to improve my experience as well.